Thistlefoot

Will pick up again come spooky season

DNF a few chapters in. I'm sad about this one - the premise is cool and I really want to know more about the magic, but I'm having the hardest time with the writing. Somehow the sentences never seem to go where I'm expecting and I have to stop and reread multiple times within a single paragraph to actually understand what the author is describing. I'm sure it's a great book for the right reader, but I am definitely not that reader.

3.5

This first 150 pgs, I felt like I had no idea what was going on. For the proceeding 175 or so pages I felt like there it was overly wordy for their being nothing really progressing the story. I was invested for the last bit, but sort of wish the rest of the book had moved along a little faster.

This book was inventive, creepy, and immersive. It gave me strong Diviners vibes, although I think January's incredible narration made the connection feel even stronger. If you don't mind some weirdness in your fantasy and you appreciate metaphor, this is a solid pick.

I would give this closer to 3.5/3.75 if I could, but this is almost like reading two books, and everything from the house's POV is the book I wanted to be reading. Moments of real writerly greatness and moments of real YA romp, I wasn't sure what audience this book was leaning into. It felt like a fairy tale but not the refined kind, until you get to the house's POV.

book 3/30
Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

Man, I LOVED this!! The story follows the Yaga siblings as they grapple with a mysterious gift from a far away relative. The mysterious gift may or may not be ‘cursed'... The novel explores love, loss, and trauma through folktales.
I absolutely loved this, especially the latter half. I want to say so much more, but I don't want to give too much away because it feels so special. You just have to read it!

!!!
5 stars
Not really a Review Just Notes:

- folklore-retelling, present & past mixing, Jewish magical realism - I dont think I have ever read a fantasy/magical realism novel with Jewish main characters so that was a new and good experience - or maybe I have but it didn't impact me in this particular way, I don't know. Definitely something for me to seek out more of...among other things this made me want to learn more about my family history...pre arrival in canada...
- the complexity of the way history is lived in the present was so well done here. Both the ways a family's history is passed down in the physical body and the family psychology, but also the way that those legacies (in this case represented in part by magical powers) are not portrayed as wholly good or bad but instead very complex.
- the idea of houses coming alive is extremely cool.
- the telling and retelling of myth/story/history by the house itself was a really beautiful aspect of this book and also made any plot holes or story discrepancies matter less because the idea of storytelling itself was being discussed and “all stories are true”
- the historical parts of this book were powerfully told and the weaving of past and present worked really well. The climactic scene was chaotic but still managed to have really beautiful imagery, and the naming of the villagers and reviving their stories was meaningful
- p. 328
- the descriptions in general are very vivid.

Critiques:

- there were plot holes but none took away from the overall impact of this book for me enough to knock it down from 5 stars. The vibes made sense even when the plot occasionally did not.
- I guess the biggest world-building question was just why aren't there more of the longshadow man/memories haunting the present in physical form.
- I didn't like the one fourth wall break towards the end, referencing “your world” where all the magic stuff is not present...that felt like a moment of not trusting the reader to understand that this is our world despite the small differences.
- the presence of the 3 bus characters was not well explained. Their presence made the book feel more like an adventure story, and i didn't dislike them, but they did feel a bit random. Similarly i wish the plot line with Winnie had been more fleshed out (lol) - i saw a few negative reviews saying this book was too long and i honestly think the opposite, it could have been a few chapters longer and given a bit more backstory on the three bus characters and a bit more development of Winnie (the whole geological thing was really cool and maybe could have been more deeply tied into the idea of stories/remembering etc if her character had been developed a bit more).
- kinda reads like YA in parts but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing...

There is nothing that I did not love about this book.

Some of my favorite books involve or allude to the story of Baba Yaga. I love that there are arguments about the etymology of Baba Yaga because her story can then be weaved into so many different Eastern European histories. I loved when Thistlefoot was narrating. I loved Bellatine and her embering. Isaac was whatever. The language used in his dialogue was more 1920's than current day which was very confusing when just after he calls Winnie “Doll,” the story will mention cell phones or something. I loved Winnie and Bellatine together. The Longshadow Man was terrifying. I really liked this interpretation.

Okay, I will start off by saying that this book was not what I was expecting it to be. I thought it was a fairytale re-telling, that it would have lyrical writing and be darkly whimsical. Now while there are elements of these sprinkled in places, I wouldn't say that is what Thistlefoot is overall. So at first it was disappointing because of my own expectations, BUT, and I put a big BUT in there, that doesn't mean it wasn't a great book. Once I got past what I thought it was, I found I actually really liked it. Now to get this out of the way, I would say the bulk of the book is about a 4 star. I had quibbles about the lack of characterization and explanations for a lot of things, the meandering the story does at certain points and a to be honest, Isaac's unlikableness (although I think that was the point of him). I did like that the story felt fresh and new, not a rehash of other fantasy out there. I liked how the story viewed America as having it's own mythical history. I like the magical and supernatural elements. I liked Thistlefoot - yes it's a character! I like how it incorporated the complicated immigrant experience. All these added up to a pretty good story, however, it really shot up to a 5 star at the very end. As all the pieces come together and the point is finally made, I really loved what it had to say. No spoilers here, except to say that at the end I was wiping tears and my storytelling, book loving heart was beaming. It makes a special point about the importance of stories which I also feel very strongly about.
So all that is to say that I think that Thistlefoot has some issues, but in the end it makes up for it in a satisfying way that hit me more emotionally than I expected, so I gave it the higher rating. Overall I think it is a fantasy book tackling a subject rarely covered in the genre and deserves an open minded read where you're likely to find more than just a fantastical journey, but a beating heart at the center with something to say.

What an ambitious debut novel. The second half was a 5-star read for me, but the first have was 2.5-3, it could have done with some harsh editing.

When I first saw the cover of Thistlefoot I thought I was getting a YA Fantasy. I'm terrible about reading a synopsis and love to go into books blind. While this wasn't YA this was definitely fantasy and an absolutely amazing read.

I love fairy tales. I love mythology. This is such a great mix of those genres and a beautifully written and well-paced story. It's dark, atmospheric and a lot of fun. I especially LOVE the multiple POVs, one in particular (you'll have to read to see which one I mean

I love Baba Yaga stories, so I was really excited for this one. Sadly, it was not what I was hoping for.
My biggest complaint is that the House with Chicken legs in modern day just didn't work for me. I love it in a fantastical setting. This also went more towards horror than fantasy, and horror is not my favorite.
I didn't like the characters at all, so that made me just not care what happened with them.

Based on other ratings, I'm in the minority with my opinion, so if it sounds good to you, give it a shot.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.